Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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13. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to commission or offer funding to a new Sexual Abuse and Violence in Ireland Report in order to gather more concrete and comprehensive data on sexual violence here. [35404/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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In recent months, my Department has been engaged with the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre in exploring the possibility of undertaking a follow-on study to the Sexual Abuse and Violence in Ireland (SAVI) study which was undertaken in 2001 and published in 2002. Since I took up office in the Department, I have been provided with an outline proposal from the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre in regard to the necessary work.

I have also met with the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre’s Chief Executive, Ms. Ellen O’Malley-Dunlop along with the principal researcher who undertook the original study, Prof. Hannah McGee and had a very good exchange of views as to the value and feasibility of undertaking this particular project at this time. I requested a further more detailed proposal and I have, very recently, received a copy of that proposal which is now being examined by officials in my Department.

As the estimate for the cost of the work involved is quite substantial, the initial proposal suggested part-funding of the project across four Government Departments. I was persuaded that there is a value to the proposed research and I have been in correspondence with the relevant Ministers requesting that they consider the possibilities of part-funding the project.

I will further consider the proposal following receipt of the views of my Cabinet colleagues.